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$2 Million In Prepaid Cards For County’s Indigent

The county is buying $2 million worth of prepaid bus passes, train passes, gas cards and debit cards to be provided county residents who are eligible to receive state-mandated supportive services through the county’s human services division and its two sub-agencies, children and family services and the transitional assistance department over the next three years. According to a report by Linda Haugan, the assistant executive officer for the county’s human services division, presented by Haugan’s deputy executive officer, Art Gomez, “To help individuals meet their basic needs (financial, medical, nutritional). human services department clients are provided with a variety of support services that require the issuance of prepaid negotiables, such as assistance with transportation and basic needs for clients meeting specific criteria. In these cases human services departments provide transportation assistance by issuing prepaid bus and train passes, prepaid gas cards, and in some cases issue prepaid debit cards for use in purchasing essentials such as food, clothing, diapers and school supplies.”
The program is funded with approximately 74 percent – $1,477,000 – federal and state funds and 26 percent – $523,000- state Realignment revenue.
$520,000 in bus/train passes and gas cards will be distributed to children and family service clients. $3,000 in debit cards will be distributed to children and family service clients. $1,477,000 in bus/train passes and gas cards will be distributed to transitional assistance department clients.
Vendors for prepaid bus and train passes will include, but will not be limited to: Needles Area Transit, Foothill Transit Authority, the Mountain Area Transit Authority, Metrolink, Morongo Basin Transit Authority, Omnitrans, Riverside Transit Agency and Victor Valley Transit Authority. Vendors for prepaid gas and debit cards will include, but will not be limited to: Valero, Conoco, Ross, Safeway and Stater Brothers Markets.
Gomez said, “The issuance of prepaid negotiables enables human services departments to comply with federal and state mandates of protecting children and adults, stabilizing families and providing supportive services.”